While a competitive salary and opportunities for professional development are among the benefits most highly desired by in-demand technology professionals, there are some workplace perks offered frequently by private sector employers that federal agencies simply can’t match. The most popular? A free lunch.

That’s according to this month’s edition of the Dice Report, which analyzed the workplace perks and benefits offered most frequently by employers who use Dice to attract IT pros in four in-demand fields: software engineering, cloud computing, big data and mobile development.

Among the top benefits, a free lunch was in the top three for all four job categories. Other perks that topped the lists for each field included free gym memberships; sponsored social events also were popular perks across the board. It’s likely that tech professionals view an employer’s offering of these benefits as a sign that it values efficiency, employees’ health and building a collaborative, team culture, the report states.

Tuition reimbursement programs also were popular among the four job categories, though particularly for employers seeking software engineering talent, a field where unemployment remains low at just 2.7 percent. For employers seeking cloud computing or big data talent, touting the ability to work across from ping pong tables or from home were popular perks offered.

“The best of the best in tech continue to show great interest in challenging assignments, personal growth and cultures that encourage innovation and flexibility,” said Shravan Goli, president of Dice, in the report. “In other words, when it comes to employment, they want the whole enchilada – on the job and in the lunchroom.”

Brittany Ballenstedt writes Nextgov's Wired Workplace blog, which delves into the issues facing employees who work in the federal information technology sector. Before joining Nextgov, Brittany covered federal pay and benefits issues as a staff correspondent for Government Executive and served as an associate editor for National Journal's Technology Daily. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Mansfield University and originally hails from Pennsylvania. She currently lives near Travis Air Force Base, Calif., where her husband is stationed.

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